Applying via email or post

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The easiest way is to fill in the form within the file itself – you don’t need to print it off, unless you prefer to send it by post.

The Football Association and Football Foundation have today (Monday 18 September) launched a £300,000 fund aimed at developing the sport of Futsal in England.

Equipment, coaching and referee starter packs made available to boost the sport

Fund aims to create more Futsal leagues and competitions across the country

Applications are now open and close on Friday 6 October

Futsal is a five-a-side game, normally played on a flat indoor pitch with hockey-sized goals and a size-four ball that has a reduced bounce. The exciting, fast-paced sport is played across the world and is officially recognised by both UEFA and FIFA.

County FAs, youth football leagues, youth Futsal leagues, schools (excluding primary level), senior colleges and sixth forms are being encouraged to apply for a ‘Futsal starter pack’, which includes Futsal-specific equipment including goals, balls and bibs, as well as FA accredited coaching and refereeing courses.

The starter packs are designed to adapt existing sports halls, playgrounds and other hard surface facilities by providing new and existing players with the necessary tools and skills to develop and maintain Futsal leagues, competitions and fixtures across the country. Applications are now open and close at 5pm on Friday 6 October.

Specifically, applications in the following categories will be prioritised:

Female Futsal (12-18 years)

Youth Futsal (14 years-and-over)

Youth football leagues (U14-to-U18)

Association of Colleges (AoC) members with facilities offering community usage

English Schools’ Football Association (ESFA) and Independent Schools Football Association (ISFA) member schools with facilities offering community usage

The scheme will be delivered by the Football Foundation, the nation’s largest sports charity. As well as delivering Grow the Game, the Football Foundation delivers the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund on behalf of the Premier League, The FA and the Government, through Sport England. Since 2000, the Foundation has supported over 15,000 grassroots projects worth more than £1.4bn.

Michael Skubala, England Futsal Head Coach, said: “The FA recognises Futsal’s increasing importance and popularity. Through our partnership with the Football Foundation, the fund is a fantastic way to celebrate and start to grow the sport in this country. We want to see more players playing the sport in new leagues and competitions, and I would encourage all those who are eligible to apply for the scheme by Friday 6 October.

“Futsal is a sport in its own right with its own pathway to becoming an England International. Futsal also promotes and practices both inclusivity and diversity – it is a sport for players and coaches from different genders, ethnic backgrounds, faiths, ages, sexual orientations and the disabled.”

Paul Thorogood, Football Foundation CEO, said: “The Football Foundation is delighted to be delivering this funding scheme on The FA’s behalf. We want to see more people playing Futsal, so these starter packs are great news for those looking to take up the sport. The application deadline is Friday 6 October and anyone who thinks they are eligible should visit our website to find out more information on the scheme.”

Do you know a local project that needs funding?

For community projects, an ordinary thing can mean everything, but funding can be a problem. The Aviva Community Fund is back, offering support and funding to causes that make a real difference where you live.

Your project is right for the Aviva Community Fund if it:

will make a positive difference in your community

is associated with a community organisation or charity, and will take place in the UK

will be completed or well underway before 31 December 2018

can ideally be completed with the requested funding alone.

To suit projects of different sizes, the funding levels you can apply for are:

Up to £1,000

Up to £5,000

Up to £10,000

Up to £25,000

There are four project categories to choose from in which to submit your entry:

* Health and Wellbeing

* Skills for Life

* Community support

* Inclusivity

Sign up HERE

All you have to do is tell us what you would do with the money and just how much of a difference it could make to the community. If you took part last year, you can submit the same project or a new one. Only the top-voted projects in each category will make it through to the Finals, so make sure you tell everyone about your project and its importance to the community.

Football Against Racism in Europe (Fare) Network has opened its Football People grants application process, which supports inclusive activities across the continent.

Fare have made available a set of grants to fund activities and events as part of the Football People actions weeks, one of the biggest social action activities in sport.

The campaign aims to get 100,000 people to take part from grassroots groups, football clubs and associations, NGOs, ethnic minority organisations, LGBTIQ fan groups, and more, and to be part of a social movement focused on tackling discrimination in and through football.

Support of up to €500 is available for grassroots activities that promote social inclusion and celebrate diversity, further the empowerment of women and ethnic minorities through football, and help refugee inclusion.

Download the Grassroots Report It APP Here

Organisations can apply for a grant between 1 August and 10 September. Interventions must meet the objectives of the campaign and be held during the two-week period in October.

Piara Powar, Fare Executive Director said: “We want people across Europe to show what football can be, how it is a driving force for social change, regardless of who they are, their background, or where they live.

“Our aim to is to reach 100,000 Football People get directly involved, if you have an idea let us know.”

Funding for larger events is also available during the weeks. The Event grants are aimed at funding larger scale initiatives that take place at a national level. Organisations interested must send their applications by 3 September.

Working with our local communities to sow the seeds of change.

We are committed to supporting the communities that we work and live in. That is why we created the Ford Britain Trust. Since April 1975 we have been able to help fund the education and advancement of our neighbours.

We pay special attention to projects focusing on education, environment, children, the disabled, youth activities and projects that provide clear benefits to the local communities close to our UK locations. The Ford Britain Trust particularly encourages applications from Ford employees, but is open to all, provided that the qualifying organisations meet our selection criteria.

Dates of Applications:

There are two types of grants to apply for:

Small grants for amounts up to £250, available four times each year. Open from:

1st March to 30th April

1st June to 31st July

1st September to 30th October

1st December to 28th February

Eligibility Criteria

Grant applications from the following organisations will be considered:

Persimmon Healthy Communities supports sport for young people in England, Wales and Scotland.

From May to December 2017 we are giving away 30 monthly donations of £750 each to purchase sports kits and equipment for teams and individuals aged 21 and under.

Our main objective is for people to use the £750 to purchase sports kits and we would be delighted if you would put our logo on the kit! However, it may be that you don’t need kit and therefore we will consider other entries if you would like to purchase equipment or spend the money on your facilities.

As part of your entry (but not essential) you may also enter to win our fantastic grand prize – £200,000 to spend on your sport, club or team.

In January 2018 our 30 businesses will choose one entry to go forward into our national competition.

The national prize is a massive £200,000 for you, your club or team. And we’re not stopping there. We also have two runners up prizes of £50,000 each and 27 finalist awards of £5,000 each.

It’s difficult now in 2016 to remember a time when there was no Premier league, kids of today will assume it has always been this way, I can assure you that I for one am unfortunately old enough to remember when the whole league system was united and money was shared.

So we look back now and consider…

Has the Premier league failed to live up to its founding principles??

Good question, let’s go back to 1992 when the elite clubs fought to have a breakaway league, they said;

A row has broken out about the right to charge football players for the use of an all-weather pitch paid for with money intended to boost access to the grassroots game it is claimed by the Nottingham Post. Details are as follows.

Burton Joyce Parish Council is charging up to £67 for people to hire an all-weather football pitch, with adjoining playing fields fenced off to the public

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A row has broken out about the right to charge football players for the use of an all-weather pitch paid for with money intended to boost access to the grassroots game.

Some parents in Burton Joyce think that the £374,000 facility at the Poplars, which opened over the winter, is pricing young people out of using the area that used to be free for a kickabout.

But Burton Joyce Parish Council has defended its decision to charge between £40 and £67 to hire the pitch for the length of a game, and said 500 players use the facilities without complaint each week in front of 400 parents.

Steve Brown, who lives in the village, said: “The facility, which was once the hub of the community, is now locked away from use.
“Strangely, Burton Joyce Parish Council has taken it upon itself to erect a two-metre-high metal security fence around the 15-acre park fields and put up signs saying that the grassland is only available for private hire.

“That’s OK for the teams and those able to afford or plan ahead but what about the real grassroots of sport, a casual kick around after school, a parent and teenager game of cricket, a family game of rounders and a picnic?
‘Seemingly, the likes of these activities are not welcome at the Poplars,” he added.

Mr Brown said that he feels like the 15-acre Poplars space is all fenced off, despite the new pitch only taking up a small section of the fields.

Burton Joyce Parish Council says the fence protects the new pitch from vandalism and said the Poplars was never a public park in the first place.

Council chairman Steve Cluff said: “It has been the case due to the lack of security through boundary control, that over the years the Poplars has been subjected to numerous break-ins, car thefts, ram raids, unsociable evening activity and an explosion in random play, goal damage and dog fouling.
“It has been 100 per cent successful in reducing crime and drug use since December 2015 at the ground.

“The Poplars Sports Ground is not a public park and never has been since its inception in 1997.

”We pay rent and rates to the tune of £25,000 which has been traditionally funded from our various sports clubs.”

The pitch was part-funded by the FA and the Football Foundation to the tune of £259,000.

Gedling MP Vernon Coaker wrote to the parish council on behalf of Mr Brown and said he could understand both arguments.
He said: “It’s a fantastic investment that has been introduced to Burton Joyce. It’s led to a major new facility, which is great.

The council has tried to ensure as much accessibility as possible while ensuring the quality of provision is maintained.

“Sometimes that’s a very difficult balance but if this issue remains, I’m sure the council will be open to people talking to them about it.”